Position description
Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Senior Economics Affairs Officer will report to the Head of the Debt and Development Finance branch, in the Division on Globalisation and Development Strategies.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Senior Economic Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties: Economic or sectoral analysis:
- Leads or participates in the formulation, organization and management of capacity-building activities on effective debt management in developing countries and economies in transition, including such aspects as the management of external and domestic public debt and the implementation of the UNCTAD computerized Debt Management and Financial Analysis System (DMFAS).
- Leads or participates in the identification of new or emerging development issues of potential concern to the international community, particularly those of a regional or global nature, and designs and develops programmes to address them.
- Supervises a large team of staff undertaking this work.
- Maintains close working contacts with outside experts, the academic community, and other international organizations through exchanges of experiences and collaborative activities and commissions work that cannot be undertaken internally.
- Conceives, plans and manages expert group meetings, seminars and similar consultations that contribute to the finalization of the branch’s outputs.
- Finalizes reports on debt for issuance by the United Nations.
- Prepares speeches for senior staff and makes presentations on economic issues for specialist or non-specialist audiences. Intergovernmental support:
- Provides direct substantive support on development issues to intergovernmental bodies (such as the General Assembly, UNCTAD, the Economic and Social Council, the Trade and Development Board, the regional commissions and the subsidiary bodies of each) by offering strategic advice, giving technical guidance and assisting in developing a consensus.
- Manages the work unit’s contribution to the preparation and management of meetings of intergovernmental bodies. Represents the organizational unit at international, regional and national meetings on development issues. Technical cooperation:
- Develops and maintains relations with senior officials of member governments and ensures a response to requests for advice and/or assistance on economic issues and policies, including by undertaking needs assessment missions and advising governments upon request.
- Negotiates with donor and recipient governments on technical assistance programmes and projects in order to ensure the financial sustainability of the programme.
- Coordinates training and advice on the formulation of various aspects of debt management to enhance beneficiary countries’ decision-making capacity on debt issues and strategies.
- Organizes and coordinates cooperation among Member States on economic programmes or issues.
- Leads or participates in technical cooperation missions. Programme support:
- Functions as the head of an organizational unit.
- Contributes to the formulation of the medium-term plan, the programme of work and the budget of the unit and participates in the formulation of the organization’s overall programme of work and other similar endeavours.
- Attends to various administrative matters concerning the larger organizational unit (Section or Division).
- Performs other related duties as required.
Competencies
- Professionalism: Knowledge of sovereign debt management and of the challenges of technical assistance in this area. Knowledge on the implementation and management of software development projects. Ability to lead a large technical cooperation programme. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to conduct independent research on economic topics, determine suitability, validity and accuracy of data provided by different sources. Ability to to maintain and establish successful and trustworthy working relations with donors. Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.
- Planning and organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently.
- Client orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
- Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow. Empowers others to translate vision into results. Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives. Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support. Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions. Drives for change and improvement; does not accept the status quo. Shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
- Managing performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly.
Education
- An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in economics or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience
- A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in economic research and analysis, policy formulation, application of economic principles in development programmes or related area is required. A minimum of seven years of experience in sovereign debt management and strategy is required. Experience in fundraising and related donor relationship management is desirable. A minimum of three years of experience in leading technical cooperation programmes is desirable.
Languages
- English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.
Application instructions
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